Grab-bucket for derricks.



G. K. SEYMOUR.

GRAB BUCKET FOR DERRICKS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1915.

1,225,186, Patented Ma.y"8,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C U 49 U .r .I I M13} 54 m war/5M javme G- K SEYMOUR.

GRAB BUCKET FOR DERRICKS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3. I9I5.

Patented May 8, 1917. 3 SHEETSSHE T G. K. SEYMOUR.

GRAB BUCKET FOR DERRICKS.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 8.

Patented May 8, 1917.

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UNTTD ETAE PATENT @FFTQOE.

GLENN K. SEYMOUR, 01 DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOB 0F .EOBTY ONE-HUNDREDTI-IS TO ALICE A. TEATS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

GRAB-BUCKET FOR. DIE-BRICKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1917.

Application filed June 8, 1915. Serial No. 32,875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLENN K. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Grab-Bucket for Derricks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in grab buckets for derricks having a bucket swinging movement, the same forming a cooperating part of an application for mechanism for turning derrick buckets or material grabbing devices in a horizontal plane, filed by me on the same date as the present application and numbered 32,874, and the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a grab bucket for use with derricks for grabbing material having a positive quick closing action, a short radial set, and a continuous scraper cutting action in a horizontal plane.

Second, to provide a grab bucket for derricks that will take up a capacity load in shallow cuts and that is capable of being set on and in loading contact with material at any desired angle.

Third, to provide a derrick operating grab bucket that is adapted to universal use on flat ground or on sloping ground, and that will take capacity loads when set at angular directions on sloping ground, and that will stay on material until ready to lift. And

Fourth, to provide a grab bucket with adequate spread and grip for the handling and rehandling of objects and articles, such as logs, dimension lumber, wheel barrows, pipe, steel girders, etc.

I attain these objects by the mechanism. illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a side elevation of the improved grab bucket adjustable boom derrick showing the buckets in load engaging position.

Fig. 2, is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3, is a horizontal sectional view through the lower portion of the mast showing the sheaves in the lower end of said mast over which the various ropes pass.

Fig. 4, is a vertical sectional view through the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the two part grab bucket and its supporting and operating connections.

Fig. 6, is a front view of the upper portion of the bucket supporting connections and the bar to which the bucket turning connections are attached.

Fig. 7, is a plan view of the weighted sheave support, around the sheaves of which pass the ropes or connections which are attached to the bucket turning bar. And

Fig. 8, is a plan view of one of the buckets provided with a detachable saw tooth form of load engaging lip.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings,

The numerals 1 and 2 designate the two half part bucket portions that cooperatively make my material grabbing derrick actuated bucket. Each of these half buckets comprises a floor portion 3 that terminates in a shoveling lip edge 4. These shoveling lips are used for grabbing sand, gravel and other material that requires a shoveling ac tion to best grab and raise it. I provide however toothed lips 5 that are attachably and detachably secured to the floors of the half part buckets by bolts 6, which can be used for grabbing such material as they are better adapted to securely hold than the shoveling lips. Each half part bucket is also provided with side walls 7, and with a rear end or heel wall 8. The floor plates, the side wall plates, and the rear end wall plates may be made in one or more pieces as desired, and be bolted or riveted together as desired. Each half bucket is provided with a bail 9, that is pivotally connected at its terminal ends to the side walls of each half bucket by bolts 10, and each bail is adjustably connected at each end to a sup porting arm 11, by bolts 12. One end of each supporting arm 11 is pivotally connected to the side walls of each half part bucket by bolts 13, and the opposite end of each supporting lever is provided with a row of apertures 14-, to which its cooperating bail can be secured, thus allowing each bail to be adjusted to let the lips of the half part buckets dip into material at different predetermined angles of inclination relative to their material grabbing and closing movements; as illustrated, I show a five point adjustment of the bails, but a larger range of adjustment may be provided if desired.

The side walls of one of the half parts of the bucket are made to fit inside of those of the other half part, which arrangement permits the lips to come close together when the bucket is closed.

In addition to the adjustable bails, each bucket is supported and sustained in its operative movements by flexible connections, which preferably consist of, chains 15; two of these chains are connected to eye plates 16, securednpon each half part bucket at the upper corner of the rear end wall plate,

and the-two chains on the same side of the half part buckets, extend and connect to a ring l'i, on the same side of the half part buckets. These four chains, cause the two half part buckets to open instantly when they are operated to open and grab a load, as they provide a four point suspension and a tilting center around their pivotal points on-the rear walls of the half buckets, the advantages ofwhich will be fully described hereinafter.

From'each of the rings 17 on the opposite sides of the bucket, a single chain 19 is connected at one end, the opposite end of which extends to the opposite ends of a suspension bar. 20, from the ends of which two short chains 21 of equal length extend to a central ring 22, to which is secured one end of a rope 23, which I term the lifting line, which extends over asheave pulley 24, that is pivotallyv mounted on a bolt 25, that extends through the. outer end of a boom 26, that forms-part of a derrick 27. This lifting line! 23..extends from this sheave 24 to a sh'eavepulley 28 that is rotatab'ly mounted on-a pivotal bolt 28 that fits in a recess in the lower end of the vertical upright stand ard 29 of the derrick, over which it runs to another sheave pulley 30 mounted at the extreme end of the vertical standard 29, from which it extends to a winding drum 31 that forms apart of any suitable hoisting engine, vwhich I do not illustrate.

This lifting line through the medium of thesuspension chains raises the loaded grab bucket after the two half parts of the bucket have. been closed together by a rope 32, which I term the closing line, and the compounded system of ropes and pulleys which I employ for changing the half parts of the bucket from their open load grabbing position into a closed load carrying bucket I will now describe.

The central portion of each of the bails 9 is provided with an extension portion 33, which preferably forms an integral part of the bail and is preferably made in the form of a long narrow loop, the sides of which are spaced far enough apart'at their lower ends to permita sheave pulley 35 to be pivotally mounted between them'at their lower ends. These levers however may be made separate from the bails and be secured to them if desired instead of being made integrally with them, as shown.

These lever extension portions of the bails cross each other at about the center of their lengths, and are pivotally connected together at their crossing points by a pivotal bolt 37. I preferably extend one lever extension between the sides of the other, and in both levers I form a row of registering holes that permit the pivotal point that connects them and aroundwhichthey swing, to be changed to give the leverage best suited to close the bucket on the material to be handled; as illustrated three holes are shown. The-outer ends of these levers are each provided with a sheave pulley 38, around which ropes 39 are extended; one end of these ropes extends from the sheaves 38 around the sheaves 35 in the lower ends of the levers, from which each rope crosses to the lower terminal end of the opposite lever, to whichthey are secured.

The upper ends of these two ropes 39 are extended from the sheave pulley 38 to a cross bar 40, which I term an equalizing bar, to the opposite ends of which rings'4l are loosely attached, and to which the ends of these ropes are secured. A ring 42 is loosely attached to the center of the equalizing bar and to this ring 42 oneend of the closing line rope 82 is secured. The opposite end of this closing rope 32 extends up through an eye 34, that is formed on the side of the suspension bar 20, to a pulley 43, that is pivotally mounted in the outer end of the boom below the sheave pulley 24. This bucket closing line extends from the sheave 43 to and over a sheave 44 in the lower end of the standard 29, and from it to and over a sheave 45 also at the lower end of the standard 29, and from this sheave 45 it extends to a winding drum 46.

The derrick comprises the vertical standard 29, which is pivotally mounted in a sill 48, the boom 26, and the supporting angular abutment beams 46 and47, together with the sill members 48, that extend under the base of thevertical standard. The detail construction and arrangement of the derrick or of its several parts is not an essential part of my present invention, as my improved grab bucket can be used with various kinds of derricks in use. The construction of the one illustrated is however preferred to some of those in common use, as it enables all of the various movements ofthe bucket to be quickly made from the engine platform 49. The lower end of the vertical standard is provided with side plates having projecting ears 50, to which the boom 26 is pivotally secured by a bolt 51, which permits it to be swung up and down. To the upper end of the boom a short link 52, which I term the boom controlling link, is secured at one end, the opposite end of which is provided with a hook 53, to which a pulley block 54 is connected. This pulley block is connected to one end of a rope 55, that extends from it over a sheave 56, that is pivotally mounted on the standard, and then returns over the pulley of the block, from which it extends to another sheave 57, mounted on the standard at the side of the sheave 56, from which it extends to sheaves 58 and 59 at the lower end of the standard, and from them extends to a drum 60.

On the upper portion of the vertical standard, a horizontal sheave 61 is rigidly mounted, around which a rope 62 is wound and extends to sheaves 63 and 64, which are mounted on a support ,65, that is secured to the uprights 46, and from these sheaves the ends of this rope, which I term the standard turning rope, extend to a winding drum. 66, on the opposite sides of which it is wound and thus acts as an endless rope to swing the vertical standard in either direction on its pivotal pin.

The above described mechanism operates the raising, lowering, swinging around, and the moving in or out of the boom and bucket, as well as the opening and closing of the buckets on the material to be grabbed, raised, carried around in, and discharged from the bucket. I deem it essential however to the grabbing of material in close places and between obstructions or objects that are not to be moved and in the placing of dimension loads, that means be provided by which the bucket can be pivotally swung around on its own axis in a horizontal plane throughout a large range of the degrees of a full circle, and my invention in this respect covers any and all means of accom plishing this spinning movement of the bucket in such a manner that the bucket can be carried around in a horizontal plane and be stopped at any predetermined angle.

There are a number of ways in which this important feature of my invention can be carried out. I preferably however construct and arrange this feature of my invention in the following manner:

To the opposite sides of the boom at any predetermined point intermediate of its length that is out of the way of the boom and bucket operating ropes, I pivotally mount sheaves 67 and 68, placing them on each side at a short distance apart and each pair opposite the other, also preferably mounting the sheaves 67 on a shaft 69 and the sheaves 68 on a shaft 7 O which shafts extend through the boom.

Below these two pairs of sheaves I pivotally secure to the boom a lever 71, by a bolt 7 2. This lever I term a spreader bar, and it extends across the boom and is free to pivotally swing thereon throughout a considerable portion of a circle, as will be presently explained. The opposite ends of the spreader bar are each provided with two holes 7 8 and 74, and in the lower holes 78 I secure the ends of ropes 1 and 1 which extend from the bar over sheaves and 76 in the base of the vertical standard, and from the sheave 76 these ropes extend to the engine winding drums 77. To the holes 74 I secure one of the ends of two ropes 78 and 79. These ropes 78 and 79 extend over the lower sheaves 67, on their respective sides of the boom, to a sheave block 80, having two independent sheaves 81 and 82. Each of these ropes is guided to the sheave in line with it by guide eyes 81 and 82, that are arranged on opposite sides of the block in positions to guide the ropes to run straight onto the sheaves when running in either direction on them. These guide eyes are formed on arms 83, that extend from opposite sides of the block. From this block the ropes extend up to the upper pair of sheaves 68 on the opposite sides of the boom, over which they run, and from them they extend to and are secured to the back of the rings of the opposite ends of the suspending yoke 20. The lower end of the block is provided with a weight 84, which is made heavy enough to hold both of the ropes 7 8 and 79 taut when they are being wound or unwound on their drums 77 The operation of my improved grab bucket and its operating derrick and spinning mechanism, is as follows:

The operator opens the bucket by relaxing the closing line, which permits the two half parts to swing apart as the chain eyes 16 in the rear wall plates of these parts act as a pivotal center, and they naturally swing apart to the full extent of their opening capacity the instant the closing line is fully relaxed and played out to allow them to separate. The lifting line is then released to allow the bucket to lower, and the bucket is turned or spun by the weighted torsional twist controlling ropes by winding up one rope on its drum and at the same time unwinding the other rope from its drum, which turns the bucket on its vertical axis in a horizontal plane throughout; a radius of 180 degrees of a complete circle. This is accomplished in" the following manner: When one of the ropes is wound on the drum 7 7 say the rope 1 it swings the end of the spreader bar to which this rope 1 is attached down and tilts or swings the opposite end of the spreader bar upward, as the rope I which is attached to the upward swinging end of the spreader bar, is run wound from the drum, and this swinging action of the spreader bar pulls on the bucket rope 78 and raises the weight and also pulls on the end of the suspension bar and pulls or turns it around toward the boom, while at the same time the bucket rope that is slackened, allows the bucket to turn. Then when the bucket is turned to the angular position desired, should it turn past that point the slack rope is tightened enough to turn it back to the point desired. Thus by proper manipulation of these weighted ropes by the winding drum and the spreader bar, the bucket is spun or turned into any angular position relative to the boom and the material to be grabbed desired.

Having turned the bucket into the position desired, the operator lowers it and sets it on or in grabbing relation to the material or object to be grabbed, and then winds up the closing line, which raises the cross bar 40 and its ropes, which acting on the sheaves in the levers 35 draws the two parts of the buckets together, and as they are drawn together they each make a short downward curve or radial set into the material, which changes automatically as the two parts are drawn together into a horizontal scraper cut movement, as they move toward each other, until their shoveling lips come together, when they have, if working in sand, gravel, mud, or other loose material, a full capacity load. The operator then winds u the lift ing line or rope, and also the closing rope, it being essential that both be wound up together, as the bucket is raised, which is accomplished by suitable arrangement of wmding drum.

Having raised the loaded bucket the boom is swung around with its horizontal sheave 61 on the vertical standard and its endless rope (32 and drum 66, to where the load is to be deposited; then the bucket is lowered as far as desired by unwinding both the lifting and closing lines. Then when the operator is ready to discharge the bucket, he unwinds and thus slackens the closing rope, and the two half parts of the bucket instantly open out to the full extent of their opening or separating movement.

My invention provides an adjustable and multiplied closing leverage for the two part portions of the bucket, and complete control of the bucket while opening and closing, which allows of the separation of material along lines of stratification, as well as of capacity loads in shallow 'layers of gravel overlying bed rock or hard pan formations, while the torsional twisting or spinning mechanism enables the bucket to be set at any angle desired to the material and to allow it to be moved to follow either the inside or outside of curved walls.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred construction and arrangement of my improved grab bucket and its controlling derrick and mechanism, I do not wish to be limited to the construction and arrangement shown, as many changes might be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising cooperating bucket portions provided with adjustable bails terminating in lever extensions which cross each other and are pivotally connected, sheaves mounted in the opposite ends of said lever extensions, a lifting line, a closing line, ropes each of which passes over one sheave in one lever extension and around the other sheave in said extension andacrossto and is connected with the opposite lever extension, the op'po site ends of said rope's being connected to said closing line, flexible suspension means attached at one end to the side of each bucket, and at their other ends to said lifting line, and means for operating said lines.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a derrick provided with a lifting line and a closing line, and means for operating said lines, ofcooperating bucket portions having adjustable bails which terminate in lever extensions which cross each other and are pivotally connected, sheaves in the opposite extremities of each lever extension, ropes each of which is connected at one end to the lower portion of one of said lever extensions, whence it extends to and around the lower sheave in the opposite lever extension and over the upper sheave in said'extension, a crossbar secured to said closing line to whieh'the free ends of said ropes are secured, a suspension bar connected to said lifting line, and flexible means connecting the outer corners of said buckets with said suspension bar.

8. The combination with a derrick pro vided with a lifting line, and a closing line, and means for operating said lines, of cooperating bucket portions having bails which are pivotally connected to their opposite ends,-said bails terminating in extensions which cross each other and are pivotally connected, means for holding the bails in different adjusted positions, means connected with the closing line foreffecting an inward pull on the outer end of one extension and the inner end of the other extension simultaneously, and flexible means connecting the outer corners of said buckets with the said lifting line.

4. The combination with a derrick provided with a lifting line, and a closing line, and means for operating said lines, of cooperating bucket portions having bails which are pivotally connected to' their opposite ends, said bails terminating in extensions which cross each other, and are pivotally connected intermediate of their extremities, bars pivotally connected at one-end to the inner lower corner portions of said buckets and adjustably connected at their other ends to the sides of said bails, sheaves mounted in said bail extensions on opposite sides of their pivotal connection, a cross bar on said closing line, and ropes connected at one end to said cross bar, each of said ropes being passed over the sheaye in the outer portion of one of the extensions and under and over the other sheave in said extension, and across to and connected with the lower portion of the other extension, and flexible means connecting the outer corners of said buckets with the said lifting line, said bail extensions being each provided with a plurality of pivot-receiving holes.

5. The combination with a derrick provided with a lifting line, and a closing line, and means for operating said lines, of co operating bucket portions having bails which are pivotally connected thereto, and means for holding the bails in difierent adjusted positions, said bails having extensions 7 which cross each other and are pivotally-connected, flexible means connected with the said closing line, for simultaneously effect- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ing an inward pull on the outer end of one extension and the inner end of the other extension, a cross bar on said lifting line, means connecting the outer corners of sai buckets with the said cross bar, means also connected with the said cross bar for turning said bucket, and means for operating the bucket turning means.

6. In a device of the character described, cooperating bucket portions each having a bail pivotally secured adjacent the outer corners of its ends, said bails terminating in extensions which cross each other and are pivotally connected, arms pivotally connect ed to the inner lower corners of said buckets, and adjustably secured to the sides of said bails, for holding the said bails in different adjusted positions, and sheaves mounted in said extensions on opposite sides 1 of the pivotal connection of said extensions. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GLENN K. SEYMOUR. Witnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ADELLA M. Fownn.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

Washington, D. G.

dso 

